UNSAID by Asmita Rajiv: A Review

One of my 2021 reading goals was to read more poetry. This 2020 collection of poems was recommended by a fellow blogger, and it resulted in my copying several poems for future re-reading and for help in teaching my Advanced Writing class.

The slim volume contains paintings, prose, and poetry by a young poet who addresses us as “fellow travelers” in this life’s journey.

This collection of poems “spoke” to me.

To begin, Rajiv quotes one of my heroes, Maya Angelou, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” The poet goes on to add, “We are so preoccupied by the monotony of our daily existence, that often the moments that take our breath away are perhaps the ones where we are actually holding our breath owing to some anxiety. Where then, is the time to pause and smell the proverbial roses?”

Poems in this collection are not arranged thematically or any particular mode of organization, but jump from thought to thought. Rajiv explores “the subtleties of love, companionship, and self-discovery.” The title comes from the advice the poet gives to her readers, “By listening to our hearts, we can let the unsaid be said.”